What a fantastic summer we are having! So far we haven't had a rained off day, so our summer courses have been somewhat al fresco. We are keeping a regular update on our Facebook page but realise that not all of our friends follow us that way so here's a quick resume of the last couple of months -

In June Eleanor was off for a somewhat less stressful trip than her last one to Spain, leading a workshop at Almuna, Adalucia, home of Arbuthnott holidays. A wonderful week of warm weather, inspirational surroundings and incredible hospitality was enjoyed by all, not least Eleanor!



Also in June there was another hugely successful Playing with Silver weekend workshop with Merlin Planterose.

But as the end of June approached, our minds were filling with thoughts of preparing for the oncoming summer school weeks. We were relieved to see Emily Wilkinson arrive, fresh and eager to get on with preparing the studios and stocking up on materials to last through the summer weeks.

Emily is a former portfolio course student that has taken up our offer of spending a summer in Ullapool. This rather contrasts with the winter she experienced living here to attend the full time course last year.




Windows on the World

Our first week of summer school classes. It was wonderful to be able to use the garage space that has now become another of the Bridge House Studio spaces. We have set up the printing presses and will be using it to its full capacity over the next few weeks, but for now Eleanor has set up some amazing still life installations of objects and artefacts left behind from the previous owner.

Object and Memory 
This was our second summer school week and the day spent painting on the beach at Achiltibuie was fantastic; overlooking the Summer Isles and Mainland hills, it doesn't get much better.
Everyone settled back into the studios and produced and incredible amount of stunning pieces of work.

Panoramas

Jacqueline Watt was the first of our visiting tutors and she pushed our students quite hard, but the end results were well worth the effort that everyone put in. 

What with the dazzling colour palette that Jacqueline uses alone with the strong sunshine, anyone would think they were in the Mediterranean, rather than in Ullapool!

Sketchbooks into Print
this was our second week of welcoming a visiting tutor, Kittie Jones. Kittie has been coming up to Ullapool form Edinburgh for quite a few years now, leading week workshops on Tanera Mor. This year she had the joy of using our new print shed / garage/ studio for her group of budding printmakers. Another hugely enjoyable and productive week.

Meanwhile, whilst the Bridge House Studios were full to the limits of their lovely walls, Eleanor was off down to Yorkshire leading a sketchbook course at Jack Beck House.
Everyone there worked away at creating small buy beautifully formed sketchbooks, aided by some great weather and home cooking!

And lastly, Christine and Emily were flying the Bridge House Art flag in the Art Tent at the Ullapool Skiff regatta.
Another amazing weekend of off-shore coastal rowers and their families descended on to the shores of Loch Broom to enjoy a weekend of frantic rowing and general fun in and around Ullapool. Lovely mono prints were made by artists of all ages to help the 'Scape' fundraising project for an Talla Solais!

Watch out for another update and latest news soon!

Well it's all go here at Bridge House Art! Eleanor has been dashing around the countryside in her usual manner, always leaving behind groups of exhausted but inspired students in her wake!

So far travelling workshops have been held at North West Highland Art in Kishorn,

Old Sleningford in North Yorkshire,

Upper Deeside Art Society took their inspiration from a misty and atmospheric Craigievar Castle.

Then we were off on a brief, sunny (and eventful) excursion over to Spain

This weekend the delights of Perthshire is the destination of choice. Have a look at our Facebook page for more images from the latest workshops.

Back at the studios, we are gearing up for the summer school courses. The materials have been ordered, the studio is having a shake-down and the garden is starting to look as wonderful as ever. The courses on offer this year have been very well received by the looks of the advance bookings.

Never fear though, there are still some places to be had;
Playing in Silver - weekend workshop with Merlin Planterose. 14th & 15th June.
Experimental Printmaking - a weeks printmaking course with Christine Morrison and Tiril Planterose. 4th - 8th August.
Bookforms - the curious life of objects a week with Eleanor White & Janis Breckenridge. 18th - 22nd August.

We are also still interviewing for the portfolio course starting in October. This is often referred to as 'life changing', so much so that we are wondering whether we should attach a health warning with the course information! Not only do we have applications from school leavers, wanting to develop a portfolio of work to help gain access into a degree programme at art school, but also mature students taking a sabbatical break from their everyday career or those wanting to explore and develop their art for a short and intense immersive period. If you're thinking along these lines, now's the time to get in touch.

Finally, if you are around any of the Scottish Art Schools over the next few weeks - Edinburgh (ECA), Glasgow (GSA), Dundee (DofJ), Aberdeen (RG) or Elgin (Moray), watch out for the current Degree Shows. We always have some ex-students graduating each year and it's always a joy to see their progress since leaving Bridge House Art. We have had another full house of successful applications with this years group of students, so we'll be watching their development over the next few years as well.

Please share with anyone you think may be interested in what we do, it's always the best recommendation.

Eleanor is just back from a wonderful travelling workshop in Airlie village hall near Kirriemuir where Oil painting was the name of the game! What wonderful work, and the best bit, according to Eleanor, was you could hear a pin drop the concentration was so good! Lovely little still-life table tops with intense patten and flowers inspired us all, even Eleanor managed to sit in a corner and paint! Have a look at what the group got up to....(More images on our Facebook page)

What an exhibition week!

Record numbers of visitors passed through the door of an Talla Solais and there were some extremely complimentary comments left in the visitors book. Visitors were genuinely interested and amazed at the breadth and volume of work developed over such a relatively short period of time.

"Wow! So much talent on display after such a short course. Congratulations to all"

"A well constructed and diverse show - excellent work"

"What a wonderful display of skill and talent. Amazing what has been achieved in such a short space of time and with such inspirational results. Well done all!"

The pop-up portrait studio was an inspired addition with Morven adding loads of additional portraits to her portfolio and the pop-up cafe was a huge success and gave the exhibition an entirely different feel with the gorgeous smells wafting through the rooms. There are plans for a continued yummy relationship for future projects.

But now the students have all said their farewells and the studios are empty :( There were lots of hugs, tears and promises of keeping in touch. Portfolios have been taken away, bulging at the seams with wonderful drawings and works that will take the college applicants onto the next stage of their artistic careers and those on a personal development journey, are ready to launch into their self directed routes.

Looking ahead, there are still places available for the next intake of portfolio course students. If you'd like any information please do get in touch or follow the links from the Bridge House Art website http://www.bridgehouseart.co.uk/p/portfolio-course.html

In case you didn't manage to see the exhibition, here are a few images of what you missed!

Following on from our previous post - now with only 2 days to go before the exhibition opening, the portfolios are safely mounted and stored away, the scrubbing, cleaning and painting of walls, starts to transform the studios into a wonderful exhibition space.

Just to whet your appetite further, here are a few more images of students work. Please see previous post for additional images

Elizabeth Sandie - painting

Sybil Moses - painting / collage

              

The pressure's building and the tension mounting in the Portfolio course studios! With only four days to go before the opening of Earthly Forms Heavenly Bodies, we thought it would be good to give you a sneak preview of some of the students work that will be displayed in the exhibition.

Erin Kish - jewellery

Helen Watt - mixed media drawing

Marion Back - painting

Catherine Lupton - printmaking

Portfolio Course Exhibition information released

Earthly Forms Heavenly Bodies

2nd - 9th March 2014

an Talla Solais, Ullapool Visual Arts